Preneed Cemetery Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Invstments (Details) (Cemetery [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 282,939	$ 227,380
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(17,972)	12,027
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	89,625	105,040
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(32,490)	43,734
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	372,564	332,420
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(50,462)	(55,761)
US Treasury Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	50,411	28,626
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(5,255)	(841)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	16,678	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1,457)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	67,089	28,626
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	6,712	(841)
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	9,713	5,319
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(195)	(83)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,204	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(125)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	12,917	5,319
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	320	(83)
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	15,191	14,060
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(438)	(571)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,301	2,137
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(216)	(204)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	18,492	16,197
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	654	(775)
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	71
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	71
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1)
Preferred Stock securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	2,197	1,497
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(68)	(143)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	126
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	(53)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	2,197	1,623
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	68	(196)
US Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	64,772	82,989
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(3,944)	(5,624)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,618	11,131
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(647)	(2,092)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	68,390	94,120
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	4,591	(7,716)
Canada Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	1,922	3,114
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(434)	(461)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,881	1,115
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(576)	(385)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,803	4,229
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	1,010	(846)
Other International Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	8,001	9,056
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(483)	(655)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	856	741
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(195)	(202)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	8,857	9,797
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	678	(857)
Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	20,440	28,132
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(406)	(1,427)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	14,252	43,172
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(2,106)	(8,494)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	34,692	71,304
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	2,512	(9,921)
Fixed Income Funds [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	110,221	54,533
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(6,748)	(2,205)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	38,656	29,104
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(23,430)	(17,145)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	148,877	83,637
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	30,178	(19,350)
Private Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	0	46
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	0	(17)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	6,863	17,136
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(3,737)	(15,158)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	6,863	17,182
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	3,737	(15,175)
Other Investments [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	0	8
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	316	378
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1)	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	316	386
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	$ 1	$ 1